


22. Dad Talk

by love_write_edit_sleep



Series: Child's Play (DBH 31 Fic Challenge) [22]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, Scars
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-28
Updated: 2018-08-28
Packaged: 2019-07-03 23:06:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15828780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/love_write_edit_sleep/pseuds/love_write_edit_sleep
Summary: Hank, realizing his boys have been without a father figure for 3 weeks, knows he’s got a lot of comforting to do.





	22. Dad Talk

When Hank woke the next day, in his own house and his own bedroom, he knew he’d never be more grateful to be alive than he was in that moment. He threw the covers back and headed to the living room, a smile spreading across his face as he took in the sight.

Connor was sprawled out on the couch, Matthew on top of him with his head resting on Connor’s chest, their LEDs fading on and off in a way that indicated they were sleeping. Gavin had sat upright on the floor, back against the sofa, with Richard nestled in his lap.

They all looked exhausted.

Hank thought back to the past three weeks. While he’d been in blissful unconsciousness, his boys had been alone… They’d only had each other and, half the time, they’d been at each-other’s throats. 

They all needed a serious Dad Chat ™ .

* * *

“Morning, boys.” Hank beamed as they all entered the kitchen together. “I thought I’d make breakfast, so you’ve all got dry cornflakes. The milk was off.”

“Mr. Hank, you should be resting…” Matthew whispered as he balanced Richard on his hip. Hank scoffed.

“I never do what the Doctor’s say.”

“It’s true.” Connor yawned, reaching for Matthew’s arm and resting his head on his shoulder. “One time he got a gunshot wound and they told him not to remove the stitches…”

“What happened?” Gavin asked.

“He said ‘fuck you, I’m an adult, I do what I want’ and pulled out the stitches.”

“Seriously?” Gavin glared at Hank, who shrugged.

“It really didn’t seem that bad.”

“There was literally a hole in your arm, Hank.” Connor sighed.

“Again, didn’t seem that bad.”

“Fuck you, Hank.” Gavin laughed before approaching the man and throwing his arms around him wordlessly. Hank sighed, hugging him back.

“Whatever. Fuck you too.”

* * *

**Connor:**

“Con, can I talk to you real quick?” Hank asked. Connor nodded and put down the tea-towel in his hand before following Hank to the living room.

“Hank, am I in trouble?” Connor asked, sounding every bit like a 6 year old boy. 

_ Every bit like Cole…  _

“No. Well… Not really. Look, I… When I was, you know, you said a lot of stuff. You sound like you’ve been through some shit… But that’s no excuse to lash out at your family, you know?” Hank whispered. Connor nodded, biting his lip as his eyes welled with tears. Hank sighed. “Come here…”

“I’m sorry, Hank…” Connor whimpered, leaning against his Dad as he held him in a secure embrace. “I didn’t mean to hurt them, I-I was scared and confused and I didn’t mean it and I’ve tried to make it up to them but my thoughts all tell me they’re better off without me and it made me angry and lash out again and I’m sorry…”

“Hey, kid, hey… calm down, I ain’t mad at you.” Hank rubbed the android’s back. “I love you and I get it. I've been there; you were upset and in a bad place, but they’re not gonna pick up and leave you! You can’t get pissed about something that  _ hasn’t  _ happened, or  _ nearly  _ happened, or  _ might  _ happen. Life’s too short!”

“But-”

“If I let what  _ hasn’t _ happened, or  _ nearly  _ happened, or  _ might  _ happen rule my life, I’d never have taken any of you in. I’d have left my job- I would have shot myself. What kind of opportunity would I be missing? All for something that may never happen?”

“I-I see…” Connor sniffed.

“Good. And if I ever hear that you’ve been pushing Matthew around again, we’re gonna have a more serious talk, you understand? That boy’s done nothing to deserve that.”

“I know.” Connor sniffed. “I’m sorry, Hank.”

“I’m not pissed at you… I get it, you were scared, but you  _ can’t _ risk the one thing that’s important.”

“I know that now, Hank, thank you…”

“Right, go help clean up. Any excuse to get out of washing up, I swear.” Hank joked, ruffling Connor’s hair with a grin. Connor chuckled, pressing a kiss to Hank’s cheek before going to help clean up.

* * *

**Matthew:**

“Hey, Math, you got a sec?” Hank whispered, patting Matthew’s shoulder. Matthew jumped slightly from where he sat on the couch, but relaxed when he saw Hank.

“Of course.” Matthew stood, leaving the others to watch Spongebob with Richard as he followed Hank to the bedroom. “What can I do for you, Mr. Hank?”

“You can sit your ass down, and I’ve told you before, it’s Hank.” Hank smiled, sitting on the bed. Matthew sat beside him. Hank thought for a moment.

“Is something wrong?” Matthew whispered. Hank sighed, wrapping an arm around Matthew’s shoulders and pulling him close.

“I don’t know what the fuck me and Connor did to deserve you in this family, but you’ve done more for us than you’ve ever fucking needed to. Thank you for looking after them while I was out of action.”

“It is what anyone would have done.” Matthew blinked, looking genuinely confused. Hank shook his head.

“It’s really not, Kid. No-one, I mean, no-one at all, would drop everything to look after their boyfriend’s family the way you have.” Hank shook his head in disbelief. “I bet you don’t even know what you fucking did.”

“I-”

“You helped Richard to cope with the new program, helped Gavin through an episode, helped Connor through fucking everything and letting him push you around, which I’m pissed about, don’t you ever let him do that, you punch him next time.”

“Alright.”

“But not only that. You saved Richard and Gavin from that shitshow on the bridge. I watched it online, you’re a fucking lunatic, Matthew. And that’s not all you’ve done. You made our family bigger, you kept them together, you kept Connor from destroying himself, you helped Richard through all that change, you visited me with Connor, you’ve done all this shit for us when you didn’t have to.”

“Mr. Hank-”

“Shut up, let me talk.” Hank sighed. “I love you, and I know you, Matthew, and that means I know you haven’t done anything for yourself since this all started. Everything you’ve done in the past month has been for them, and for me. You can stop now.”

“Stop…?”

“Yeah. They’ll be okay. You can stop now. I’m back.” Hank whispered. “Just… let go.”

“L-let go…” Matthew breathed shakily as he forced himself to let go of the pent up emotions of the past month. Hank was back. Connor would be okay. Gavin was safe, Richard was safe. They were together now. They were home.

Hank was home.

Matthew burst into tears.

“Oh, kid…” Hank whispered, pulling Matthew in for a proper hug. Matthew clung to Hank, choking back sobs as he trembled against the older man.

“I-I am sorry…”

“Shut up, you got nothing to be sorry for…” Hank whispered, rubbing Matthew’s back. “It’s been hard, I know it’s been hard… You did good. You did a good job, Matthew. You’re a good kid…”

“Thank you, Mr Hank…” Matthew sniffed. 

* * *

**Gavin:**

“Matthew…?” Connor stood immediately when he saw Hank and Matthew. Matthew wordlessly approached Connor and threw his arms around him. Gavin gaped.

“What the fuck did you do to him?!”

“You’re next.” Hank smirked, pointing at him and indicating to the bedroom. “Get in there.”

“It is alright.” Matthew assured him. Gavin gave him a skeptical look before following Hank into the bedroom. Hank closed the door behind them.

“The fuck-?”

“He’s been under a lot of stress. He needed it.” Hank explained. “Right… What’s this I hear about you thinking you’re like your old man?”

“Fuck this shit, I’m out.” Gavin turned back to the door. Hank grabbed his arm and pulled him back to the bed, sitting him down.

“Shut up, you’re all having a lecture and you ain’t skipping class.”Hank crossed his arms. “If I ever hear that you think you’re anything like that bastard, I’m gonna put you in a coma myself, then we’ll see how you like it.”

“Go right ahead.” Gavin growled.

“Shut up and listen to me.” Hank gripped Gavin by the shoulders, forcing him to look at him. “You are  _ nothing _ like that fucking scumbag. Look, look at these.” Hank pulled his phone out, opening his photos and pulling up all the photos Matthew and Connor and Gavin had taken. “Look at this kid, Gavin. Look.”

“Fine.” Gavin sighed, looking at the photo’s. Hank scrolled through them with him. Photos of Richard with each of them, smiling and laughing, dressed up in different outfits, playing and sleeping and drawing. 

“Look.” Hank stopped at a photo of Gavin and Richard in their cat hoodies with cat whiskers on their faces, and beaming at the camera. Richard was cuddling Gavin as Gavin took the selfie. “Does this kid look happy?”

“I guess.”

“Do you look happy?”

“Yeah.” Gavin rolled his eyes.

“Look.” Hank scrolled through the photos again. “Does he look scared of you? In any of these?”

“No…”

“Does he look like he’s crying out for help?”

“No…”

“No. He looks like a kid who’s having the time of his life.” Hank smiled. “So stop with this ‘I am my father’ bullshit, because this is a happy kid with a guardian who loves him.” Hank looked up, his heart sinking when he saw Gavin wiping his eyes with his cat hoodie sleeve, trying to hide his tears. “Alright, Son… It’s alright.” 

“Fuck you, Hank…” Gavin spat, burying his face in Hank’s shoulder. Hank chuckled as held Gavin close.

“Arresting your Pops was the greatest pleasure I’ve ever had in my years of work in the police force.” Hank whispered. “I’ll do it again in a heartbeat if he so much as looks at you.”

“Shut the fuck up, Dad.” Gavin sniffed. 

“I’m not done.” Hank chuckled, pulling away and holding Gavin at arms length. He gently brushed his hands down over Gavin's forearms, where he knew the scars from his childhood still marred his skin under the sleeves of his cat hoodie. “Your pathetic excuse of a Father has missed out on so much that I, instead, have had the pleasure to be a part of. I get to say the things he’ll never get to say, and I say this with satisfaction: I’m so fucking proud of you.”

For the third time that day, Hank watched one of his Son’s burst into tears.

* * *

**Richard:**

“Hey, Rich?” Gavin sniffed as he entered the living room. “Hank wants to talk to you.”

“Okay.” Richard slid off the couch and ran into the bedroom, missing how Connor and Matthew stood to hug Gavin.

“Hi, Papa.”

“Hey, kiddo… Come sit with me a sec.”

“Okay.” Richard smiled, crossing the room and scrabbling up onto the bed. “Hi.”

“Hey.” Hank smiled, pulling up the hood of Richard's cat hoodie with a smirk. “You remember a few days ago, you visited me in the hospital for the first time?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m gonna be straight with you… I heard what you said, about not saving me, but I don’t think you understand how wrong you are.” Hank sighed. “I remember what happened, clear as day, I don’t know if you do…?”

“I do…”

“Then you’ll remember that I told you to stop and you didn’t. You kept running, you grabbed me, and you got us as far away from the blast as you could. That was far more than I ever needed you to do, kid…”

“But it was the only way-”

“Yeah, it was, and you still chose to destroy yourself to save me. You could have left me there and I wouldn’t have blamed you, but you didn’t.” Hank leaned forward. “So don’t you dare apologise for not saving me, because look at me. I’m still here.”

“But-”

“No, listen to me.” Hank whispered. “What happened wasn’t your fault, at all. It’s the guy who put the bomb there, not yours. Don’t you ever try and self-destruct over that again, you hear me? You scared the shit outta me.”

“Okay, Papa…”

“Richard…” Hank sighed. “I know it’s been hard for you… Being forced to be something you’re not, but all things considered, you’ve done so well and I couldn’t be more proud of you.”

“Pwoud of me…?” Richard asked. “No-one’s been pwoud of me befowe…”

“Oh, kid…” Hank pulled the child onto his lap. “That’s not true. They may not have said it, but Connor and Matthew and Gavin, especially Gavin, are all fucking proud of you.”

“They awe?”

“Of course they are! Connor’s your brother, he’s always gonna be proud of you, and Matthew’s fucking proud of everyone. You could stab him and he’d be proud of you. And Gavin… Gavin loves you, Anything you do is gonna make him proud.”

“I’m pwoud of Gabin too…” Richard whimpered, burying his face in Hank’s chest. Hank sighed, holding the kid close.

There. Now he’d made all his kids cry.

* * *

_ “What is it with you boys and falling asleep on my fucking couch? Whatever, just don’t moan about your backs in the morning. You ain’t felt nothing until you turn my age. _

_ What the fuck did I do to deserve you kids? I’m so fucking proud of you all… Fucking bastards…”  _


End file.
